THROUGH THE LENS

Wildlife and Landscape Photography Tour with Greentours to Iceland

Our Through the Lens Tours focus on having the time to take good photographs; so more time in the field at fewer localities, with fewer hotels, and less time spent travelling. Our photography team of Chris Gardner (see his images on www.chrisgardnerphotography.com), Ansar Khan and Tony Beck (www.tonybeck.ca) will guide you and offer expert tuition in the field on subjects such as composition, lighting or camera use, or indeed whatever you’d like to ask them. These are tours that offer great opportunities for experienced photographers and beginners alike to work on macro photography of butterflies, insects and flowers, bird and mammal photography, and plain old magnificent scenery shots!

The primaeval volcanic landscapes of Rekjanes and Hekla, Iceland’s famous Fire Mountain, the immense Mýrdalsjökull ice-cap and the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano, provide an awesome arena for this superb wilderness and wildlife photographic holiday.

The spectacular scenery of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula offers a kind of Iceland in miniature. We can expect close up photographic opportunities of the many seabirds that nest in the immense colonies on the black basalt cliffs whilst Arctic Terns hang in the air just feet from our heads. The melancholy calls of Great Northern Divers echo through these sublime landscapes and we’ll have great opportunities to photograph these and the equally beautiful Red-throated Divers too. We’ll spend time photographing Harlequin Ducks, aiming for the perfect image of these stunning birds in the rushing cascades of Þjórsárdalur with Hekla Volcano as a backdrop. We’ll photograph Great Skuas nesting on the sand plains along the south coast and visit the edge of the great ice-cap and the snout of one of its valley glaciers. Iceland’s landscapes provide a scenic background to approachable birds everywhere. Flatey Island is perhaps the best example of this as birds allow us up close, especially Red-necked Phalaropes, Arctic Terns, Common Snipe and Whimbrel, and we’ve a chance of Grey Phalarope in their stunning summer plumage. We’ll see abundant Black Guillemots whilst Razorbills, Common Guillemots and Kittiwakes breed on bird cliffs and stacks on the Reykjanes Peninsula where we’ll look for the rarer Brünnich’s Guillemot as well. On the Westman Islands we’ll see Puffins in their thousands, and have excellent photographic opportunities for many seabird species breeding at the southern tip of Haimaey Island, and we’ll visit the crater formed in the 1973 eruption. A combination of sparkling scenery, often fabulously clear light, and very approachable birds, make this holiday a photographer’s dream.

INFORMATION

Focus

Photography of the natural world, in particular the amazing volcanic landscapes, and the breeding birds of Iceland in fresh spring plumage.

Leaders

Walking

Easy. No more than two or three miles a day for the most part and always at a slow pace, ideally suited to photographers.

Included in the Price

All flights. Transport, accommodation and meals in Iceland. Services of your leaders. Optional extra trips not included: boat trip to the seabird cliffs on the Westman Islands (£35) and a Whale-watching trip (£55) from Grundarfjörður. Drinks, tips, and items of a personal nature including travel insurance, are not included.

Group Size

The maximum is 6.

Accommodation

We have four nights in a comfortable guesthouse in the very beautiful and historic Skálholt area, the countryside in the vicinity has many lovely walks. Next are three nights at the Hotel Framnes in Grundarfjördur. This will provide us with a comfortable base from which to explore the fabulous wilderness of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. All rooms on this tour have en suite facilities.

Flights

UK flights are from London Heathrow, Manchester, or Edinburgh direct to Reykjavik. Other indirect routes from other regional UK Airports* may be available. *These routes may incur a supplement.

Climate

On the frequent sunny days temperatures can reach around 20°C and on cloudy ones around 12°C. Expect some windy days too, when it can feel much cooler.

How to Book

Contact us to check there is availability for the number of places you require. Download a booking form or contact us and we will send one to you. Complete and send to us. You will receive confirmation of your place and then a detailed information pack will be dispatched to you about twelve weeks before departure. This will contain up-to-date health information.